Charles Barkley: 76ers 'fans will never forgive' Ben Simmons

Charles Barkley has been outspoken in urging the Philadelphia 76ers to trade Ben Simmons as soon as possible, and the Hall of Famer believes his former team is making a huge mistake by letting the situation drag on so long.

Barkley spoke with TMZ this week about the rift between Simmons and the 76ers. He said the Sixers have to make a decision in the near future. Barkley, who played for Philly for the first eight years of his career, also explained why Simmons could never return to the team.

“They’ve got to make a decision, but Ben Simmons is never gonna play in Philly again,” Barkley said. “The fans will never forgive him. I know those fans well. I thought my name was ‘Charles Barkley Son of a B–ch’ for a long time when I was there.”

Barkley added that the Sixers are “just being stupid and wasting Joel Embiid’s great season.” Embiid is averaging 27.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this year.

Earlier this season, Barkley ripped the 76ers for how they were handling Simmons’ behavior. The real problem is that president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is determined to get a star player and multiple draft picks in return for Simmons.

A report this week shed some light on just how committed Simmons is to staying away from the Sixers. The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 10, but there’s no guarantee any trade will be completed before then.